The petition to put Deshaun Watson in bubble wrap until September 8th needs to begin circulating the Cleveland fanbase. According to reporters on the seen, Watson and tight end Zaire Mitchell-Paden collided with each other while attempting to catch a pop fly during David Njoku's celebrity softball game on Saturday.
First-hand accounts of the incident say Watson was manning first base while Mitchell-Paden was at second base position and a pop-up floated in between the both of them. Watson sprinted over to try and make the catch and ran right through Mitchell-Paden giving the crowd a scare. Watson rose to his feet and lifted both arms up signaling that he was OK and Browns fans let out a collective sigh of relief.
Watson is entering his 3rd season with the Cleveland Browns after his two initial seasons were a bit shakey to put it nicely. 2022 featured only six Watson appearances after his 11-game suspension. He couldn't quite knock off the rust and never found his footing.
In 2023 Watson tried to battle through multiple shoulder injuries but it proved to be too much to overcome. Then after a historic comeback against the number one team in the AFC team, Baltimore, Watson wound up under the knife for season-ending shoulder surgery.
2024 is a year with immense pressure for the 28-year-old. Kevin Stefanski and the Cleveland Browns front office have put Watson in the best position to succeed next season. The offense will be led by new offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and will resemble an "air-raid" style similar to what Watson has thrived in in the past.
Personnel-wise, the Browns went out and got Jerry Jeudy to add more weapons to the perimeter of the offense. Jeudy joins a core of Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore, David Njoku, a healthy Nick Chubb and so many others.
It's go time for Watson, but he needs to get to week one without any injuries. Especially from a celebrity softball game!
